what is health education, causes of health education, the importance of health education, concept of health education.

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WHAT IS HEALTH EDUCATION?
• Health education is a social science that draws from the biological, environmental,
psychological, physical and medical sciences to promote health and prevent disease,
disability and premature death through education-driven voluntary behavior change
activities.
• Health education is the development of individual, group, institutional, community and
systemic strategies to improve health knowledge, attitudes, skills and behavior.
• The purpose of health education is to positively influence the health behavior of individuals
and communities as well as the living and working conditions that influence their health.
WHY IS HEALTH EDUCATION IMPORTANT?
• Health education improves the health status of individuals, families, communities, states, and
the nation.
• Health education enhances the quality of life for all people.
• Health education reduces premature deaths.
• By focusing on prevention, health education reduces the costs (both financial and human)
that individuals, employers, families, insurance companies, medical facilities, communities,
the state and the nation would spend on medical treatment.
WHO PROVIDES HEALTH EDUCATION?
• Some people specialize in health education (trained and/or certified health education
specialists). Others perform selected health education functions as part of what they consider
their primary responsibility (medical treatment, nursing, social work, physical therapy, oral
hygiene, etc.). Lay workers learn on the job to do specific, limited educational tasks to
encourage healthy behavior.
• Para-professionals and health professionals from other disciplines are not familiar with the
specialized body of health education knowledge, skills, theories, and research, nor is it their
primary interest or professional development focus. This will limit their effectiveness with
clients and communities, and their cost-effectiveness.
• Health education requires intensive specialized study. Over 250 colleges and universities in
the US offer undergraduate and graduate (Masters and Doctorate) degrees in school or
community health education, health promotion and other related titles.
• Nationally, voluntary credentialing as a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) is
available from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc (NCHEC).
• CHES competencies (health education needs assessment; program planning, implementation
and evaluation; service coordination; and Health Education needs, concerns, resource
communication) are generic to the practice of health education, whether it takes place in
schools, colleges, workplaces, medical care settings, public health settings or other
educational settings of the community. CHES are re-certified every five years based on
documentation of participation in 75 hours of approved continuing education activities.

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WHERE ARE HEALTH EDUCATORS EMPLOYED?
• In schools health educators teach health as a subject and promote and implement
Coordinated School Health Programs, including health services, student, staff and parent
health education, and promote healthy school environments and school-community
partnerships. At the school district level they develop education methods and materials;
coordinate, promote, and evaluate programs; and write funding proposals.
• Working on a college/university campus, health educators are part of a team working to
create an environment in which students feel empowered to make healthy choices and create
a caring community. They identify needs; advocate and do community organizing; teach
whole courses or individual classes; develop mass media campaigns; and train peer
educators, counselors, and/or advocates. They address issues related to disease prevention;
consumer, environmental, emotional, sexual health; first aid, safety and disaster
preparedness; substance abuse prevention; human growth and development; and nutrition and
eating issues. They may manage grants and conduct research.
• In companies, health educators perform or coordinate employee counseling as well as
education services, employee health risk appraisals, and health screenings. They design,
promote, lead and/or evaluate programs about weight control, hypertension, nutrition,
substance abuse prevention, physical fitness, stress management and smoking cessation;
develop educational materials; and write grants for money to support these projects. They
help companies meet occupational health and safety regulations, work with the media, and
identify community health resources for employees.
• In health care settings health educators educate patients about medical procedures,
operations, services and therapeutic regimens, create activities and incentives to encourage
use of services by high risk patients; conduct staff training and consult with other health
care providers about behavioral, cultural or social barriers to health; promote self-care;
develop activities to improve patient participation on clinical processes; educate individuals
to protect, promote or maintain their health and reduce risky behaviors; make appropriate
community-based referrals, and write grants.
• In community organizations and government agencies health educators help a community
identify its needs, draw upon its problem-solving abilities and mobilize its resources to
develop, promote, implement and evaluate strategies to improve its own health status.
Health educators do community organizing and outreach, grantwriting, coalition building,
advocacy and develop, produce, and evaluate mass media health campaigns.
WHAT DOES A TRAINED HEALTH EDUCATOR DO?
Assess individual and community needs
Plan health education programs
Develop health education programs

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Coordinate health education programs
Implement health education programs
Manage health education programs & personnel
Evaluate health education programs
Write grants
Build coalitions
Identify resources
Make referrals
Develop social marketing and mass media campaigns
Organize/ mobilize communities for action
Handle controversial health issues/content
Advocate for health related issues
Encourage healthy behavior
Use a variety of education/training methods
Develop audio, visual, print and electronic materials
Conduct research
Write scholarly articles
HOW CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT HEALTH EDUCATION?
Contact a local university or one of the member organizations of the Coalition of National Health
Education Organizations to learn more about health education.
American Association for Health Education
1900 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191
800-213-7193
http://www.aahperd.org/aahe

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American College Health Association
PO Box 28937
Baltimore, MD 21240
410-859-1500
http://www.acha.org
American School Health Association
7263 State Route 43
PO Box 708
Kent, OH 44240
330-678-1601
http://www.ashaweb.org
Association of State and Territorial Directors of Health Promotion and Public Health
Education
750 First Street, NE, Suite 1050
Washington, DC 20002
202-289-6636
http://www.astdhpphe.org/
Eta Sigma Gamma
The National Professional Health Education Honorary
2000 University Avenue
Muncie, IN 47306
765-285-2258
http://www.etasigmagamma.org
Public Health Education and Health Promotion Section
School Health Education and Services Section
American Public Health Association
800 “I” Street, NW
Washington, DC 20002
202-777-APHA (2742)
http://www.apha.org
Society for Public Health Education
750 First Street, NE, Suite 910
Washington, DC 20002
202-408-9804
http://www.sophe.org
Society of State Directors of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation
1900 Association Drive
Reston, VA 20191-1599
703-476-3402